


5 Times Elizabeth Struggled with Being a Surrogate Mother and One Time She Didn't

by tptigger



Category: The Tomorrow People (1973)
Genre: (from The Dirtiest Business), (only in chapter 1), CW: Suicide, Canonical Character Death, Gen, and all chapters are stand alone, takes place afterwards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-18 20:32:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13107999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tptigger/pseuds/tptigger
Summary: Being a twenty year old teacher doesn't prepare one for parenting teenagers.





	1. Girl, Interrupted

**Author's Note:**

  * For [coralysendria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/coralysendria/gifts).



> The first chapter adapts The Tomorrow People (2013) episode Girl Interrupted. As such, it features and OC contemplating suicide. If that sounds like a bad idea for you to read it, just know that her name is Emily and you can read the rest of the chapters without fear.
> 
> Many thanks to [redacted] and [redacted] for brainstorming and a beta read, respectively. (Hopefully I remember to fill in the names after reveals.

Stephen was bored. He should have been excited to learn about the Roman Empire in Britain, but he'd just gotten back from Roman Britain. The teacher was droning on and on about taxes paid to the main empire. Nothing about the slave trade, gladiators, or anything else more interesting.

Typical.

_This is so ridiculously boring,_ Emily said.

Stephen sat up straight. Emily sat three seats over and Mr. Moore, the History master, hadn't reacted. Unless. He kept his face forward but his eyes trained on Emily.

_I can't believe we have to learn this stuff._

Yes, Stephen was definitely hearing her telepathically; her lips weren't moving.

_At least in 48 hours I'll be dead._

Stephen jumped, knocking his notebook off of his desk and onto the floor.

"Jameson!" Mr. Moore barked.

"Sorry, sir, I lost my balance." Stephen dropped to the floor to pick up his books. He hoped he wouldn't end up being sent to the headmaster.

"Lose your balance again, Jameson, and you'll be in detention, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," Stephen said.

A few students were laughing. Emily just had her head bowed, her hair hiding whatever she was writing in her notebook. Was she writing a suicide note? She'd sounded so lost.

_John. Elizabeth._

_Stephen, you're supposed to be paying attention to history,_ Elizabeth scolded.

_I just heard Emily Maloney's unspoken thoughts! She's planning to kill herself!_ Stephen kept his eyes trained on his notebook, resisting the urge to tap his pen.

_Well you can't pull her out of class for that,_ John replied. _Not without arousing a lot of suspicion anyway._

_She has art with us next,_ Elizabeth said. _You'll be working on projects. Neither Mr. Tripnall or myself are going to let her hurt herself in class, okay? We can work out a plan then. In the meantime, pay attention._

_All right, Elizabeth,_ Stephen said.

* * *

 

_Elizabeth, you and Stephen need to be careful getting involved in this,_ John said.

Elizabeth wished she could roll her eyes, but as she was sitting across from Mr. Tripnall marking papers, he might notice something amiss. _She's breaking out, John, how else could Stephen have heard her?_

_There's going to be a lot of scrutiny, questions..._

_Not if we stop her._ Elizabeth turned the page of the essay she was marking.

_She's going to need more help than we can give her, Elizabeth, possibly more than the saps can give her._

_If I might be permitted..._

_What is it, TIM?_ John asked.

_The Galactic Federation has several programs that might be able to help,_ TIM said.

Elizabeth pursed her lips. _That would lead to more questions.._

_If she is breaking out, the problem may be all the voices in her head,_ John said.

_Stephen heard me before..._ Elizabeth wrinkled her nose in confusion.

_Everyone is different, Elizabeth,_ John said. _This... Emily was it? Emily may have been picking things up for ages and only now started broadcasting._

_It would be interesting to see if she can pick up Stephen and me in class then,_ Elizabeth said.

_Yes,_ John said, _I suppose it would._

* * *

_This is torture._

Elizabeth looked up, that was Maloney's voice.

Everyone's heads were down, working on their art projects, including Finnegan, who Elizabeth had been instructing on the finer points of underwater drawing. Almost everyone's: Stephen was looking at her with wide eyes.

Maloney was still looking at her work. _Maybe I should just go to Wood Lane today._

Stephen was right: she was definitely broadcasting telepathically.

_Maloney? Can you hear me?_ Elizabeth asked.

Maloney shot up. "What?"

A few students laughed.

_Sorry, I didn't think to warn you not to speak out loud._

Maloney paled. _3:13, 3:20, 3:27..._

Elizabeth raised her eyebrow. Then she realized: Maloney had thought she was imagining things.

Stephen looked from Maloney to Elizabeth, color draining from his face.

"Hearing voices," Elizabeth mouthed, not wanting to frighten Maloney with more telepathy.

Stephen nodded, throwing Maloney a worried look.

Elizabeth half wished she could hug him, but even if they weren't at school, Stephen wouldn't put up with it.

* * *

The moment the bell rang, Maloney bolted out of her seat.

"Maloney," Elizabeth called, but either Maloney didn't hear her over the din of the other students leaving or she ignored her.

_I'll talk to her,_ Stephen telepathed as he dashed out of his seat. _If you do, she's going to think she's in trouble._

Stephen dodged through several groups of students, wishing he dared jaunt in this mess. "Maloney."

She kept going.

"Emily, please wait," Stephen called.

He dodged through Frasier, possibly shoving him slightly.

"There are better ways to get a girlfriend, Jameson," he called.

Stephen didn't bother to roll his eyes, he just dodged past Finnegan and nearly sent Penny Weston flying as he sped by her.. _Maloney, please wait, I can help._

Emily kept going, out the door and down the stairs.

Stephen got through the doors a few moments later, and jumped off the side of the stairs to get ahead of her, using telekinesis to cushion his fall.

"What, Jameson?" Emily pushed past him. "Do you have some massive whopper you want to tell me about standing up for no reason in class and answering nothing?"

Stephen walked in front of her and grabbed her arm. "No. I'm not here to make fun of you." He lowered his voice. "You weren't answering nothing, you stood up because you were answering Eliza-- I mean Miss M'Bondo. She had asked if you could hear her." _Because I could hear you telepathically in history class and we were wondering if you could pick up on it._

Emily's eyes widened. "Did you just..."

Stephen nodded. _I'm speaking to you mind to mind, Emily, you're not hearing things._

"I need to ask you a very serious question."

"Ok," Stephen said.

"Is there a red dragon in that tree?" Emily asked, pointing.

Stephen had a bad feeling this was just a way to get him to turn around but if it wasn't... He turned, looking up in the tree. "I don't see anything." He turned back, taking a couple steps closer to Emily so he could talk quietly. "I'm going to ask someone, a friend, to check, but I don't want you to freak out if you hear him, OK?"

Emily nodded mutely, eyes widening. Stephen had a feeling that his taking her seriously was very important right now.

_TIM, are you picking up any unusual life signs in my vicinity?_ Stephen asked.

_No Stephen, I'm afraid that I'm not,_ TIM replied.

Emily looked around.

_You heard him didn't you?_ Stephen asked.

Emily nodded.

_He's not here, he's across town, but he is real. You're not hearing things, Emily, I promise._

She stared for a moment, then collected herself and shook her head. "I have to go."

* * *

 

"You did the best you could, Stephen," Elizabeth said after Stephen had slouched his way into the lab and relayed the story.

"You're very sure she's one of us?" John asked.

"She heard TIM answer me about the life signs scan." Stephen stood up. "Even though I didn't see anything, just the fact that I looked, that I took it seriously and asked TIM to look, well Emily was really relieved, like she was afraid I wouldn't believe her."

"Well, if she's hearing voices, she probably hasn't had a lot of people believe her," Elizabeth said. 

"So now what?" Stephen asked, spilling onto one of the stools at the link table, his back to the view screen.

"Let her cool off," John said. "You can try again tomorrow."

"She's contemplating suicide," Stephen said. "I don't think we should wait. Can you get her address for me, TIM?"

"I'm afraid we have a more pressing concern," TIM said.

Stephen crossed his "A more pressing concern then..."

"Stephen, look." Elizabeth pointed at the screen.

"We have an intruder in the underground station above," TIM said.

"That's Emily!" Stephen said. "Why would...."

"Do trains still come through on the line outside?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, why..." John paled, stopping mid-sentence.

The door leading to the station was open before they could even ask.

"Emily," Stephen shouted, running up the stairs and nearly barreling into her.

Emily frowned. "What are..."

"Emily, please come in the lab and have some tea," John said. "We'll explain everything."

"Who are you?" Emily backed away, eying John warily. "Why..."

A train whistle blew in the distance. 

Emily's posture stiffened, arms coming to her sides and her back straightening. "I have to go."

"Emily please, you're not mad," Stephen said. "Whatever else is going on, you're not mad."

"Then you see it too?" Emily asked.

"See what?" John asked.

"The... it's a brown and green thing with tentacles, it's.. choking a man in a furry vest."

"With ginger hair?" John asked.

"Yes," Emily's eyes widened in excitement. "You see it?"

"I don't see it now, but it's called a medusa; it attacked our friend Ginge around here somewhere about a year ago," John said, gently. "Please, come have some tea. We can explain."

Emily looked at Elizabeth. "Do you know him, Miss M?"

"Yes, John is a friend," Elizabeth said. 

"Did you see the... what'd you call it, the medusa?" Emily asked.

"She didn't, but I did," Stephen said. He walked up to Emily and tentatively placed an arm around her shoulders. "I don't know how you're seeing these things, but I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation."

"Sure there is." Emily hung her head. "I'm a freak."

"You're not a freak." Elizabeth walked to her slowly. "You're one of us. We can help you."

Emily glanced towards the platform again, and Elizabeth could feel Emily's doubt rising. Good.

Maybe if she just... "Please, give us half an hour, if after that you want to leave..."

"OK," Emily said. "Is that offer of tea still available? I take milk and two sugars."

* * *

"Well, that's interesting," TIM said after they had introduced him to Emily and were all settled with tea and a plate of biscuits.

"Can it wait TIM?" John asked.

"I think it could, but I suspect that Emily might find it comforting," TIM replied.

"Find what comforting?" Emily set down her tea and looked up at TIM's domes.

"The tree, the one you asked me to scan earlier today? It mysteriously caught fire a few years back," TIM said.

Emily frowned. "I don't understand..."

"You somehow are reading the psychic imprints of past events," TIM replied. "The dragon was a psychic representation of the fire. However, the medusa manifested in its actual form because it is a creature that feeds on telepathic brain waves and therefore would leave a stronger psychic imprint. Somehow you can see that imprint.

"It is not a unique gift, but it is very rare, and you are the first of the Tomorrow People to exhibit it."

"The Tomorrow People?" Emily echoed.

"Us." John blew on his tea to cool it. "We're the next stage of human evolution and we have special powers. You've already started exhibiting telepathy; that's how you can hear us talk mind to mind, why you're hearing voices--they're not illusions, they're the thoughts of other telepaths."

Emily stared. "And I can see psychic imprints?"

"It would appear so, yes." John set down his tea cup. "You're special because you can do that, but I'm sure we can either help you learn to control it or find someone else who can."

"You said we have special powers, but you only have one?" Emily tilted her head.

"We can also jaunt--that's teleport, from one place to another," John said. "And we have telekinesis."

"What's that?" Emily asked.

Stephen used telekineses to float a cookie from the main plate to the space immediately in front of Emily.. "Want another biscuit?"

"And you can teach me to do that?" Emily grinned, taking the biscuit out of the air and taking a bite.

"Yes," John said.

Emily rubbed her temples. "That just sounds so hard."

"You can..."

Elizabeth laid a hand on John's shoulder. "Emily, he didn't mean to, but earlier Stephen heard you thinking that you were going to be dead soon. Were you planning to jump in front of a train this afternoon?"

Emily nodded. "I don't want to now, I don't think. I... I'm not crazy. I thought I was going crazy, but I'm not. So it will stop? I think. But I don't know how to make it stop and it all sounds like so much work and..." She stopped, sniffling.

TIM materialized a handkerchief onto the link table.

"Thank you, TIM." John handed the handkerchief it to Emily.

"Thank you, TIM." Emily sobbed into the handkerchief.

"It's going to be OK, Emily." Elizabeth patted her shoulder. "We know someone who can help, better than anything you can get through the NHS."

Emily just squinted at her. "I.. I'd like to go home."

"Want me to go with you?" John offered.

Emily squirmed.

"Stephen and I can take her," Elizabeth said. "I can explain, and I can have a chat with her parents about the Trig."

John frowned.

"You'll put them ill at ease, John," Elizabeth pointed out. "I'm her teacher, Stephen's her classmate, it will be less off-putting."

John sighed. "Very well, Elizabeth."

* * *

**One Week Later**

John and Stephen jaunted into the lab, and Stephen sank into one of the chairs on the side bar.

John took a stool at the link table where Elizabeth had been marking papers.

Elizabeth set down her pen. "Did you get Emily and her mum settled?"

"Yes, I think that program Emily's been admitted to will help her very nicely," John said.

Elizabeth turned back towards the chairs. "Is it a nice place, Stephen?"

Stephen just shrugged.

John gestured towards, throwing Elizabeth a lost look. She wasn't surprised, that John was at his wit's end. Stephen had been pretty withdrawn all week.

"What's wrong, Stephen?" Elizabeth asked.

"What makes you think something's wrong?" 

"Usually after a visit from the Trig you'd be complaining about how you didn't get to see Kenny again, or telling me about all the interesting people you meet." Elizabeth stood, crossing the room and taking the chair next to Stephen. "Or asking TIM for a snack. Instead you're just sitting there like a lump."

Stephen glared at her.

"We've done all we can, Stephen." John stood, moving to the other table and leaning against it. "I thought you said you didn't know Emily very well before all this?"

"He didn't know anyone at school very well before all this. He keeps to himself..." Elizabeth reached out, squeezing Stephen's shoulder. "It's been hard for you, hasn't it, Stephen? With Kenny away? Were you glad to have someone closer to your age when you realized that Emily was breaking out?"

Stephen sighed. "It's... it's not that I don't like you, but it was nice to complain with someone about homework or..."

"Or old Tripe 'n' Ale?" Elizabeth asked.

Stephen flushed. "Yes."

"Don't worry Stephen,"Elizabeth said. "I'm sure Emily wasn't the last person to break out. And besides, the difference in our ages might seem like a lot now, but it won't always be that way."

Stephen huffed.

"Seems like forever right now, doesn't it?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes," Stephen said. "And part of me knows it's not but it's just..." He threw up his hands.

"It's just really hard right now?" Elizabeth finished.

Stephen nodded. He stood, joining them at the table. "Could I get some watermelon please, TIM?"

"Absolutely, Stephen," TIM said, materializing a plate.

* * *


	2. Tyso

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place just after _Revenge of Jedikiah_

Elizabeth was exhausted. This wasn't surprising: she'd been shot, and up until an hour ago had been in intensive care because of it. Tikno and the Trig had restored her to health. And then promptly pulled her on an intergalactic jaunt to the Galactic Trig. Where they'd then been pulled into a bunch of orientations, followed by a formal welcome dinner.

She'd been to the Trig once before, when she'd accompanied John and Stephen to visit Carol, but that had been a day trip, and a quiet day at that. Without all the formalities.

She and the boys had been placed in a set of quarters intended for a small family. Stephen and Tyso had been given one of the bedrooms with bunk beds. She and John each had their own room. What Elizabeth really wanted to do was see if she could find something comprehensible to read on the Trig's systems and lie down with a good book.

There was just one problem: John had already done that, and Tyso was sitting on the couch, his legs drawn to his chest. (In John's defense, Tyso's feet had been on the floor before John had left the room.) Stephen had sat next to him, whether out of solidarity or pack instinct Elizabeth wasn't sure.

Elizabeth sat on Tyso's free side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Are you all right?"

Tyso looked at her, nose wrinkled. _Is she serious?_

Elizabeth sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. _You're projecting, Tyso. And if I asked you if you wanted to talk about it, you'd deny anything was wrong, so..._

Tyso scrubbed a hand over his face.

It was then that Elizabeth realized he was shaking.

"You should rest," Tyso said out loud. "You almost died and I can feel how tired you are."

"You should rest too, you're shaking," Elizabeth replied.

"Well, it's chilly in here, ain't it?" Tyso asked. He paused for a moment, his feet falling to the floor. "Is... can we check on Evergreen?"

"My Mum said she would," Stephen said. "When I called her, she asked if your parents were back; when I said no, she said she'd look in on your sister. She'll be all right."

"Thanks, Stephen." Tyso brought his knees back up to his chest and rested his head on them. "Really, Liz, I'm OK. You should rest."

"You look like you could do with some sleep yourself." Elizabeth reached out to brush a stray lock of hair out of his face.

Tyso ducked her touch. "We're so far away from home."

"Peeri was farther," Stephen said.

Tyso turned his head to glare at Stephen. "We don't know if we're going home."

"When," Elizabeth said. "Everyone keeps saying when it's safe. They're right though; it's best to let things cool off a bit first."

Tyso sighed. "At least we won't have to go to school."

Stephen grinned at Tyso mischievously. "You forget Elizabeth is a teacher."

"I believe the Trig actually has a school," Elizabeth said, "but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Tomorrow. Or the day after. Sometime not today."

Tyso yawned.

Elizabeth yawned too. "You should go to bed before Stephen and I have to manhandle you there."

"Not tired." Tyso yawned again.

John emerged from his room, surveying the situation.

Elizabeth caught his eye, then jerked her head towards Stephen and Tyso's room.

"Come on, Tyso, she's right," John said.

Tyso shook his head. _Don't want to be all alone._

Elizabeth suspected he was accidentally projecting again.

"There's two bunks in there for a reason," Stephen said, barely suppressing an eyeroll (and definitely not suppressing his urge to roll them from leaking out telepathically.)

"Tomorrow People are never alone, Tyso," Elizabeth said. "You have us."

Tyso looked at her, then to John, who nodded.

Stephen stood up off the couch, reaching out a hand. "Come on, Tyso, it's been a long day. Things will look better with some sleep."

Tyso looked at him skeptically. "How are you so philosophical about this?"

"The food's better than at the Doomsday Men's boarding school." Stephen shrugged.

"Well that's good, we can't have you jaunting back to the lab for a feed," John teased.

"Come on, Tyso. Let's go." Stephen held out his hand emphatically.

"Or do I need to tuck you and read you a story like a little kid?" Elizabeth teased lightly.

Tyso flushed, glancing at Stephen. "Um.. no, it's ok, I'm good." He reached out and took Stephen's hand, using it to leverage himself up.

Tyso followed Stephen to the bedroom and closed the door behind them.

Elizabeth sank onto the couch and buried her head in her hands.

"Are you all right?" John asked, sitting next to her.

Elizabeth didn't need to know telepathy to know the answer that John was looking for was "fine" so that he could go back to his room. If she had to put up with the boys....

"How are we going to manage this?"

"Hopefully with a lot more sleep." John sat next to her and reached out to squeeze her shoulder. "Though I don't know what you would've done if Tyso had taken you up on that offer."

"There are electronic books in the system. I'd have found something."

John sighed. "We'll get through this, Elizabeth."

"It would help if you hadn't run away."

John rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I came back when I realized there was a problem."

"I don't know what to do," Elizabeth said.

"I told my mother that about Stephen when Carol and Kenny came here. Know what she said?"

"What?"

"Half the time she didn't know what she was doing with me, either. And I turned out all right."

Elizabeth glared at him through narrowed eyes. "The jury's still out on that."

John sighed. "Get some sleep, Elizabeth." He retreated to his room.

Elizabeth yawned. John might have been a little arrogant, but he did have a point. She stood up, retreating to her room as well.

* * *


	3. Mike

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter deals with the aftermath of The Dirtiest Business, specifically Pavla's death.

Elizabeth would never be quite sure just how they got Mike back to the lab after Pavla Vlasova had jumped out of that window. It probably involved TIM doing most of the jaunting work and John manhandling Mike into a chair.

Elizabeth sat down next to him, looking him over. There were no outward signs: Mike was a little sweaty, but the only thing that outwardly was wrong was the way he kept rubbing the back of his neck. Mike wasn't blinking much either, probably trying to blink back the tears that had been in his voice right after Pavla had jumped.

Elizabeth tried to reach out telepathically, but all she got was a steady string of pop lyrics as Mike tried to keep her out.

Mike looked at her expectantly. "Well?"

"Well what?" Elizabeth asked.

Mike crossed his arms. "You're in idiot, Mike. You should have let us handle it, Mike. Why don't you ever listen to us, Mike? If you'd just trusted us, Pavla might be alive, Mike...."

"Well I _could_ yell at you." Elizabeth reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "If I thought for one second it might fix things, I would, but given what happened, it seems rather redundant, don't you think."

Mike shrugged, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"She jumped out the window to save me," he added, miserably. "If it weren't for me, she wouldn't have blown up, but she did that. Why did she do that?"

"Because she didn't want to take you or anyone else with her," Elizabeth said.

"She could have. I mean she wasn't the one killing me, she could have had her revenge."

"Could you do that?" Elizabeth asked. "If your situations had been reversed?"

"No," Mike said, instantly.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at him.

"This is all my fault." Mike buried his face in his hands.

"You didn't put those explosives in her."

"Maybe not, but I gave her boss a reason to use them," Mike replied. "If I'd listened to you and John..."

"It might have worked, it might not have." Elizabeth laid a hand on his back. "For all we know, we'd have gotten her back to the lab, her boss would have traced the radio frequency straight to us. Or they could have detonated the bomb the moment that they realized they couldn't find her."

Mike pulled a face, jerking away. "TIM could have stopped any of that, couldn't you, TIM? Or gotten it out of her?"

"It is possible," TIM said. "However, I don't believe that's Elizabeth's point."

"No, the point is you're trying to make me feel better, so you're lying to me. I'm too old for that." Mike folded his arms on the the side of chair, resting his head on them. "I've been through too much."

"Yes, and maybe if we'd told you that we were going to talk to the Prime Minister--or taken you with us, you wouldn't have been so reckless," Elizabeth said.

"It's not your fault I'm a reckless idiot." Mike hid his face in his arms.

"Look at me, Mike."

Mike shook his head.

"Mike."

He sighed, lifting his head to look her in the eyes.

"You're not an idiot, Mike," Elizabeth said.

Mike hung his head. "I should have trusted you."

"Yes," Elizabeth said. "You should have."

Mike winced.

Elizabeth bit back a curse. It was true, but there was no need to rub his nose in it.

"Have we ever given you a reason. not to trust us, Mike?" She leaned in closer.

Mike rested his head on his fist and looked down, lost in thought.

"No," he said eventually.

"You might want to remember that the next time you go running off half-cocked," Elizabeth said. "I'm not saying it can't work out--it certainly did with Lord Dunning. Lord knows that Stephen can probably tell you some stories, but if you're going off without a full view of what's going on..."

Mike nodded, leaning into his hand.

Elizabeth sighed.

"I'm okay, Elizabeth, you don't have to stay with me. Nothing you say is going to make me feel better anyway."

"That's certainly true," Elizabeth said, "but what kind of friend would I be if I left you like this?"

Mike stared at her, blinking.

* * *

"Mike, it's half past five," TIM reminded gently.

"I should get home," Mike said, walking up to the jaunting pad. He turned, touching his hands to his belt. "Thanks, Elizabeth." With that he jaunted away.

Elizabeth blinked. "Thanks? For what? I didn't do him any good."

"Nothing but time will do him any good right now, Elizabeth," TIM said gently.

"I suppose, TIM, but I just..." Elizabeth stood, stretching her legs and arms. "I'm not good at this. I wasn't equipped to be responsible for a bunch of kids."

"And yet you're marking essays."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "It's not really the same, TIM."

"I know, Elizabeth, it just seemed like something John would say."

Elizabeth snorted. "Trust him to disappear."

"Perhaps because he trusted you to know what needed to be done."

"I didn't do anything." Elizabeth sat down to her pile of unmarked essays.

"Perhaps," said TIM, "that was exactly what Mike needed."

* * *


	4. Hsui Tai

Elizabeth was glad to be home. She'd been on the Trig so long it was almost weird being back on Earth. Of course, she'd come home to a new lab and a new Tomorrow Person, so it was also kind of like starting over again.

Still, it was nice to get up in the middle of the night for a cup of camomile tea and not have to go three rounds with a semi-sentient food synthesizer that didn't know Earth food.

Also, TIM was a much better conversationalist.

Elizabeth walked back towards bed, hoping this time, at least, she would sleep. Except that as she passed Hsui Tai's cabin she could hear sniffling.

Elizabeth sighed. She had a feeling this sort of thing was going to happen now that they all lived in the lab. 

She knocked gently on the door. "Hsui Tai?"

"Come in," Hsui Tai sniffled.

Elizabeth opened the door, stepping inside the narrow room. There was a framed still life over the bed, which Elizabeth understood had been a welcome to the lab present from Mike, but otherwise the room was very sparse.

"Are you all right, Hsui Tai?"

The girl shrugged, sitting up and letting the covers fall from her chest. "I just..." She shrugged again.

"I know that we don't know each other that well, but I'd like to help." Elizabeth gestured towards the spot next to Hsui Tai on the bed. "May I?"

Hsui Tai nodded. "I..." Hsui Tai started then stopped, rubbing the back of her neck. "Tomorrow begins the festival of Holi. It is traditional for young people to throw water at each other, and all the gods--no, all the children--we would have a large water balloon fight in the courtyard. I wish I was there."

Elizabeth blinked. Biting back "you wish you were a slave again", because as tempting as it was, saying it that bluntly wouldn't help anything. And as pretend as Hsui Tai's upbringing may have been to her, the tears currently in her eyes are very real. Elizabeth rubbed the bridge of her nose, searching for a suggestion that might cheer Hsui Tai up. "I'm sure you could convince Mike to have a water fight with you if you asked him."

"Mike is nice, but Kyi-Chu and I owed Shiga-Tse for the trick she played on us last year."

Oh! That was a different kettle of fish. "You miss your old friends." Elizabeth laid a hand on Hsui Tai's shoulder.

"I do." Hsui Tai looked down at her hands, playing with the blanket. "They are very far away. We would have so much fun in this week if we were all back at the temple."

"The festival lasts a week?"

Hsui Tai nodded.

"Hsui Tai, you can jaunt," Elizabeth said. "Do they have phones? TIM could help you call them. Maybe you could all get together for that water balloon fight after all."

Elizabeth suspected she'd be stuck helping Hsui Tai plan it, but unlike Mike or Stephen, she suspected Hsui Tai would be willing to do the heavy lifting.

Hsui Tai's eyes lit up, and her head came up to look at Elizabeth. "Most of them are near the village where the temple was. Only Kyi-Chu and I were from far away. Could I bring him with a matter transporter? We would always watch the water balloon fight in the town square from the temple and wish we could join in with the children below. Maybe this year we could!"

Elizabeth yawned.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth; did I wake you?"

"No. I couldn't sleep," Elizabeth yawned.

"Thank you for speaking with me. You should get some rest." She looked at the clock. "I should too. It is too early to call Kyi-Chu."

"Sweet dreams, Hsui Tai."

"You too, Elizabeth. Thank you again."

"Anytime."

If only they were all that easy.

* * *


	5. Andrew

Andrew stormed from the jaunting pad to the lab couches, his face red. If Elizabeth hadn't known better, she would have thought there was steam coming out of his ears.

"My father is an old fashioned...." Andrew paused, shooting TIM such a glare that Elizabeth suspected he would have let loose with some choice profanities had TIM not been likely to object. "...Old coot." He spilled onto the couch.

"Parents are like that sometimes," Elizabeth said. She turned the page in the essay she was marking

"My father has this deranged idea that it's high time I started dating because I need to continue the family line and he can pass on the castle and..." Andrew stood, pacing.

Mike looked up from his book and raised an eyebrow. "Did you ask him for advice about..."

"What? No!" Andrew threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "He's got a whole line up of girls from the village he wants me to take to the fete."

Mike just blinked, and Elizabeth could tell he was trying very hard not to laugh.

"I can find someone in my own time!" Andrew exclaimed. He plopped down on the couch next to Elizabeth, looking at her with wide eyes. "Elizabeth can you talk to him?"

"I... what?" Elizabeth asked. Setting down her pen. She would very much like to give Bruce a piece of her mind, but he was Andrew's father and she was, technically, Andrew's friend.

"Can you talk some sense into him?" Andrew asked. "You're an adult! He'll listen to you."

Elizabeth rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I don't think that's a good idea, Andrew."

"Please Elizabeth?" Andrew's eyes widened and he frowned.

Puppy dog eyes should be outlawed by the Geneva convention.

"No, Andrew. I will listen to you vent all you want, but you will need to handle your father yourself."

"But Elizabeth..."

Elizabeth sighed. "He's your father, Andrew, I can't overrule that."

Her stomach twisted as Andrew deflated, falling backwards on the couch. She felt for him; Bruce was being absolutely ridiculous, really--Andrew wasn't even fourteen yet--but Bruce was Andrew's father.

"You want my advice, mate?" Mike set down his book.

"At this point, I'll try anything." Andrew sat up, leaning forwards onto his hands set in his lap.

"You said your dad just wants you to start dating, right?"

Andrew wrinkled his nose. "Yeah?"

"So instead of bowing to his wishes, why don't you get your own date?" Mike picked up his book again.

"Mike..."

Mike closed the book, looking Andrew in the eyes. "Your lab partner, the one you're always talking about?"

"Eileen?"

"Right," Mike said, pointing towards Andrew. "Just ask her to the fete."

"But..."

"Look, mate," Mike's hands moved forwards to punctuate his statements, "either she'll say yes, and your dad will be off your back and you'll have a good time, or she'll say no and you can quit wasting your time."

Andrew cocked his head at Mike.

"He does have a point, Andrew," Elizabeth said. "If you like this girl, there's no harm in asking. Unless you think your father would object for some reason?"

Andrew looked from one to the other. "That's the best you can do?"

"Well, mate, you can always tell your dad he's being an old fashioned old coot and you'll date when you're good and ready," Mike said.

"Not unless I want a good thrashing." Andrew leaned his elbow on his lap, placing his chin in the palm of his hand.

"Well, I was thinking you could phrase it more politely."

"Still a thrashing."

Elizabeth frowned. "Andrew, you could tell him that you feel..."

"He won't listen, Elizabeth, I tried," Andrew said. "That's why I wanted you to..."

Elizabeth wanted to. Bruce was being a jerk, but she wasn't Andrew's mother and Bruce very much was his father.

His idiot Sap of a father.

"I said no, Andrew." Elizabeth picked up the essay again.

Andrew sighed. He looked at Mike. "So any advice?"

"I gave you..."

"On asking her out!"

"Hmm, well that depends..."

Elizabeth put down the essay. This she could do. "Andrew, ignore whatever nonsense is about to come out of Mike's mouth and just ask her if she wants to go to the fete with you the next time you see her."

"In class?"

"Not during class, and maybe not in front of everyone, but why not?"

Andrew stared. "It might not work."

"Girls don't like all those weird lines, trust me," Elizabeth said.

Mike leaned forward. "Well, actually..."

"When was the last time you had a date, Mike?" Andrew asked.

"I'm not answering that." Mike crossed his arms. "It's not like there's a castle for me to inherit or anything."

"Ha ha." Andrew got to his feet. "Thanks, Elizabeth, I'll try it. I'm gong to go work on my homework." He headed towards his cabin.

"Thanks Mike," Elizabeth said, once Andrew's door had shut.

Mike just shrugged. "I'd go give Mr. Forbes a piece of my mind meself, but it seemed better not to get involved."

Who was this grownup, and what had he done with Mike?

Mike grinned. "Besides, he's been pining over this Eileen girl for months; maybe he'll finally do something about it."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. Baby steps.

* * *


	6. +1 Christmas Eve on the Trig

"This is so annoying," Andrew grumped as they made their way from the Trig's long distance transporter beam area towards Carol's quarters.

"Being sheared apart by a passing meteor shower or being otherwise stuck in Hyperspace due to transporter beam interference would be more annoying, Andrew," John said. "Besides, you'll get to meet the other Tomorrow People."

Andrew harrumphed. "I know it's not safe, but I'm still annoyed to be missing my father's sausage stuffing."

Mike reached out and ruffled his hair. "Knowing your father, he made a double recipe expecting you to eat half of it. I'm sure he'll save you some."

"You'll like Stephen," Elizabeth said.

Andrew shot her a dubious look.

Elizabeth sighed. "Can you try and make the best of it Andrew? It's not like there's anything else to be done."

"I know," Andrew said. "I'll stop sulking when we get to Carol's quarters, ok?"

"Andrew..."

"That sounds fair to me, John," Elizabeth said.

Andrew had a right to be disappointed, just so long as he didn't take it out on the rest of them.

They reached Carol's quarters.

John reached up to hit the door chime.

"Nova, gerroff," said a gruff voice.

John chuckled, ringing the bell.

"But Uncle Tyso..."

"Nova, if he doesn't want you in his lap..." Carol's exasperation was clear just from her voice

"You can bug Uncle John instead!"

"Stephen, don't help," John called through the door. "Though no one's going to be able to bug me if you don't let us in."

The door slid open, and out barreled Nova, Carol's son, who promptly attached himself to Elizabeth's waist.

Tyso clapped Stephen on the shoulder. "At least he doesn't listen to you either."

"Hi, Nova," Elizabeth said. Apparently, he still remembered her from the several months she'd spent on the Trig at about the time Hsui Tai broke out.

"Well, I guess we know who rates," John said with a chuckle.

"John," Stephen said, arms open. "It's been a long time."

John reached out, giving Stephen a tight hug, then clapped him on the back as he let go. "It really has."

"Nova, let Aunt Elizabeth say hi to everyone else before you monopolize her," Carol said, prying her son off of Elizabeth's waist.

The moment Carol and Nova were clear, Stephen hugged Elizabeth tight. "Not that I like space travel being disrupted, but it's great to see you again."

"You could always come visit Earth once in awhile, you numpty," Mike said.

Stephen reached out and hugged him. "I missed you too."

"These are Hsui Tai and Andrew," Elizabeth said, indicating the newest Tomorrow People with her arm..

"It's good to meet..." Stephen took in Andrew's clothes and rounded on John and Elizabeth. "You want to tell me why you're making the poor new boy wear a kilt? Just what sort of mission were you on?"

Elizabeth choked down a laugh.

" _Making_ me wear the kilt?" Andrew echoed. "Why would they be _making_ me wear it?"

"Andrew's Scottish, mate." Mike ruffled Andrew's hair. "We keep trying to tell him that he doesn't have to wear the kilt, but he likes it."

"You were wearing bell bottoms only a year ago." Andrew batted Mike's hand away. "You're one to talk."

"Don't mind Stephen," Tyso said, finally prying himself off of the couch. "He can be kind of dense; in his defense, he had a bad experience with a Scottish boarding school six years ago and he won't let it go."

Stephen grabbed Tyso in a headlock, applying noogies to the top of his head.

"Let's hope the captain of your squad doesn't see you two mucking about like that," Elizabeth said, "they won't trust you with what needs to be done."

"They tend to keep the roughhousing to their off duty time, so I'll let it slide as long as they don't break Carol's quarters," said a voice from the doorway.

"Tricia!" John exclaimed, "it's good to see you."

"I brought our latest trainee, I hope you don't mind."

"Emily!" Stephen exclaimed. "You're joining the force!" He strode forward, then stood awkwardly.

Emily reached out and hugged him. "I am."

He turned to Tricia. "You know, her ability for reading psychic imprints would be..."

He trailed off as Carol cleared her throat.

"Right, no business at Christmas." Stephen flushed. "Sorry, all. I got over excited."

"We can discuss it in a couple of days," Tricia said, "but I was thinking the same thing."

There were more introductions, and then Narscissa, Carol's husband, got home.

Elizabeth looked around, mentally counting. "We're missing..."

"Sorry," said a voice as the door slid open. "The chairbeing of the Galactic Federation can be a right pain in the neck. The only reason he even let me go was he sensed I was anxious and I had to explain about home customs and..." The black man in the doorway paused. "John! I didn't know you were coming!"

He stepped into the room, practically bowling the older man over in a hug.

"It's been too long, Kenny," John said, hugging back.

"You know Kenny; he won't stay in one place too long," Stephen said, stepping up to hug his old friend.

"So these are the new troops?" Kenny asked, eying the others skeptically.

"I'm Andrew." He stepped forward, offering his hand. "TIM once said I should talk to you about always being the one left in the lab if given the chance."

John snorted.

"It was me at least once," Carol pointed out.

"It was me every other time," Kenny replied. "That's why I came here!"

"Lucky for us Andrew hasn't done that," Mike said. "Hsui Tai and I would probably still be in lock up at the White House."

"What?" Stephen asked.

"You met a lock you didn't open?" Tyso asked.

"There was Bolumin involved," Mike said with a shrug.

"This story I've got to hear," Stephen said.

"Dinner's ready," Carol said. "We were just waiting on Kenny."

"I'm sure Mike and Andrew can tell us over dinner," Stephen said, wrapping an arm around Mike's shoulders and steering him towards the dining room where a dining room table was laid out with plates, cups, and festive streamers.

"Same old Stephen," John said.

Stephen turned around and stuck out his tongue. "I was growing."

"Andrew's not eating out out of house and home," John shot back.

Carol sighed. "John, don't encourage him."

She dropped back, and whispered to Elizabeth. "Sometimes I feel bad for leaving you with those two."

"Mike was the real handful," Elizabeth replied. "He's getting better."

Carol nodded.

There were a few minutes of wrangling as people found seats. 

"I want to sit next to Aunt Elizabeth!" Nova exclaimed.

"Nova, why don't you come sit by Mom," Narscissa said. 

"But..."

"Aunt Elizabeth wants to relax, not help you cut your meat," Carol said as she brought in a large roast.

"Can I help?" Hsui Tai asked as Carol started back towards the kitchen.

"Oh, yes, please," Carol said.

Hsui Tai followed Carol out of the room.

Narscissa sighed, indicating a chair near he was standing. "Nova, please come sit next to me."

"Come on, Nova, I'll sit on your other side." Elizabeth reached out her hand to the child. It was nice to be wanted, and why start a fight when Nova had two sides?

Two sides, sadly, were not enough to go around for Stephen. 

Mike had taken one side, which was fine, but Kenny and Emily both reached for the other chair.

"Hey, I want to sit here," Kenny said.

"He saved my life! And I've barely seen him since, we're never on the Trig at the same time."

"That's because he's never on the Trig," Kenny said. "I have the same problem.

"Look who's talking," Stephen said.

"Paper scissors stone?" Emily suggested.

Kenny blinked. "It's been awhile, but OK."

"I'll play the loser for the other side," Mike said.

John raised an eyebrow at him.

"Seems more fair, don't it?" Mike asked.

Elizabeth was just glad they were handling it--well, not like adults, exactly, since paper scissors stone wasn't exactly the most _mature_ way to handle things, but it sure beat them arguing!

Stephen looked from one of the combatants to the others. "I think this might be the first time in my life I've ever been popular."

"Remember that time when Evergreen and..."

"Do not finish that sentence Tyso, or there will be hell to pay." Stephen started to walk around the table to where Tyso had sat on the other side.

John grabbed his arm. "I don't think Carol would appreciate you two having a wrestling match around her good china."

"Fine, fine," Stephen said and sat.

"Ok, Emily, on three." Kenny held out his fist.

Emily did likewise.

"One. Two. Three." Kenny threw stone.

Emily had thrown scissors.

"Aw, tough job," Mike said. "I'll give you another go."

Emily walked around Stephen and held out her hand. "On three?"

Mike nodded.

"One. Two. Three." Emily threw paper.

Mike had thrown stone. "Oh, man." He tilted his head back in frustration, then shrugged and walked around the table to sit next to Tyso.

Hsui Tai walked in, setting a bulging dish of what appeared to be some kind of root vegetable on the table, then sat in the empty seat next to Elizabeth. Tricia sat opposite Hsui Tai and Carol came in, carrying a dish that Elizabeth didn't recognize.

Andrew, who was sitting between Tyso and Tricia started laughing. "Ladies and gentleman, we've achieved Sixth Form."

"I don't understand," Narscissa said.

"There are certain ages where human children tend to segregate between the sexes, and all the women are sitting at one end of the table," Carol said.

"Ah, I see," Narscissa said.

Emily turned to Elizabeth. "Do you think I should swap with Kenny and mix it up, Miss?"

"For heaven's sake, Emily, I haven't been your teacher for six years. Call me Elizabeth."

"This looks great, Carol," Stephen said. "Would you like me to do the toast or whatever the Adonisians call it?"

"John, could you do it?" Carol asked. "It seems appropriate, somehow."

"It is traditional for the patriarch to do such things at family gatherings on Earth, is it not?" Narscissa said.

John flushed, but he rose. "Well, I suppose if I was going to be stranded away from Earth on Christmas Eve, I can think of no better group of people to be stranded with. So... Cheers!"

Carol rolled her eyes, but for John, it was just about right.

"Cheers," Elizabeth said, and she couldn't help but agree with the sentiment.

The End


End file.
